For the last month I have been working in a project with kids. Together with six other artists I have received over 2000 kids – all the kids in elementary school in the township of Bollnäs actually – to let them learn something about their cultural heritage and craft. This friday was the finish of the project. I have had around 10 kids/day for a period of 25 days in a workshop. Today was an exhibition where parents and relatives can come and look.

When I have had workshops with children before if has been for a shorter period of time. To have the opportunity to do this has given new thoughts about handicraft and working with children, for me. I have had reason to question what I do, and then do it differently. The strongest feeling after having done this is that carving is – most of all – a state of mind. It is a feeling. And the most important thing is not to teach that carving is a skill or how to make something. I just tried to make everyone feel good about themselves, and to carry that memory with them for a while. And if they ever had a doubt about themselves, later in life, they can just carve some wood.

On the 18,19 and 20 june I will be having a class in working with birchbark in Fågelsjö, a village in the Orsa Finnmark. The class is held every year, unless there are not enough participants. Fågelsjö is a beautiful and inspiring place for working with birchbark. With its history as a settlement for finnish immigrants the old folkmuseum has great objects made from birchbark. The technique we will mainly work with is sewing together whole pieces of birchbark with birchroot (flaknäver). The birchbark can be taken nearby when the sap is rising. Hence the time for the class to be held: the weekend before midsummer.There are still places open.

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ahardslojdlife, the concept and the site, was started in 2000 by Niklas Karlsson.
The aim is to show 1: the context and 2: the hard existence, working with traditional use of wood. I call it traditional use of wood. Meaning using ”old fashion” workprocesses – it´s not about copying objects from a certain time or place.